Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Daphne looks over her shoulder at him, with Cammie, nuzzled against her chest. “Thanks,” she whispers, embarrassment and probably something else heating her cheeks and turning them pink. It’s times like this that she reminds me of Latch the most and the ache in my chest feels like it just might destroy me.
“Mama, I want to open my prezzzents!” she exclaims drawing out the word presents and making more with a ‘Z’ sound in the word.
“But what about cake and ice cream? Or that game you wanted?”
“Where we put Olaf’s nose on him?” she squeals.
“That’s the one,” Daphne laughs.
“Can I open one gift?”
Annie comes over to join us and to my surprise she sits in the empty space on the sofa beside me. She’s not close, but it’s still a shock. I bet Doctor Dickhead wouldn’t like it, not that it means anything anymore. Our relationship is in the past. Still, I like that we can put shit aside to be here for our kids.
“She sounds just like Drew and Daphne did at that age,” she laughs, looking at me.
“She does,” I agree with a smile. Whatever else went wrong, those memories are good ones.
“Just one,” Daphne caves, making me grin. “Which one do you want to open?”
“Pez’s!!!” she cries, jumping up and down. I watch as Pez’s eyes widen in shock, but the huge grin on his face comes almost instantly. Yeah, he’s in deep with my girls. I just hope he doesn’t fuck it up.
“I’ll just get—”
“I’ll get it, Skittles,” Pez murmurs. I can see the way my girl looks at him. It’s a little uncomfortable for a dad to see, but still, I’d much rather Daphne ends up with a good man like Pez over that fuck-head Dane. I never did like that guy. I put up with him because he seemed to spoil my girls. Daphne seemed like she was happy. After what I saw today, I’m going to make sure he’s completely out of the picture.
“What’s with all the candy nicknames?” Annie asks with a huff. There’s the Annie I’m more accustomed to seeing lately. She’d probably feel better if she ate some candy instead of injecting Botox. “I’m gaining weight just hearing the names.”
“I remember you used to have a sweet tooth. Cookies were a regular dessert at our house,” I add. I know I’m an asshole for bringing it up, but I hate this bitchy side of her that I see anymore. Annie wasn’t always like that, and I miss the young girl she used to be.
“He’s right, Mom. I always liked your chocolate chip ones. They were my favorite,” Daphne says, having no idea that I’m referring to anything but the kind of cookies that you put in the oven. I smirk at Annie. She’s doing her best not to give herself away in this conversation, but I see the anger glowing in her eyes.
“I wike chock-et chip,” Cammie says.
“What were your favorites, Dad?” Daphne asks.
I give Annie a wolfish grin. She narrows her eyes, telling me without words that I better shut up. It’s her fault if she doesn’t remember that I rarely hold back.
“I like the cream filled cookie she used to serve,” I reply blandly. I can feel Annie’s body tighten next to me. I fight the urge to laugh.
“I don’t remember those,” Daphne answers, sounding sad.
“I quit making them,” Annie injects immediately.
“How come?” Daphne asks.
“It’s one of those recipes that you don’t make that often, so you get rusty on the ingredients and before you know it, they are dry and tasteless because not enough love goes into them. It’s part of the reason I gave up baking them altogether,” she says.
Her hidden barbs are definitely hitting, but I brush off the feeling. I can’t let her get the last word. “Well, back then you were buying the cheap ingredients. I’m sure with Nathan’s money you’re buying the extremely expensive ones these days,” I respond, just as Pez comes back–armed with two medium size presents wrapped in paper covered in a snowman. Not sure who he is, but he’s sure not Frosty.
“You’re an asshole,” Annie murmurs quietly next to my ear while the others are distracted.
“Takes one to know one, baby,” I purr back.
“I think I liked you better as a drunk,” she says while Daphne and Cammie laugh over Cammie trying to decide which of the two presents to open.
“Even more reason to stay sober,” I quip, before turning my attention back to my girls.
“Okay fine. Since you’re both ganging up on me,” Daphne laughs looking at Cammie who is now sitting on Pez’s lap. Yeah, I need to help this guy get his head out of his ass. I’ve been living that way for too many years. I don’t want to see him do it, not when his shot of happiness is staring him in the eyes. I suppose I’m more invested because I think Pez can make my daughter happy in ways that fuck-head Dane never could.